The Solomon Monroe Bennett Family - Family Histories

     Hiram Bennett was born in Franklin, Georgia in 1796. He moved with his family to Mesquite, in 1821. Solomon M. was born there in 1852, married Elva Payne. They lived in Fayetteville, Arkansas, then Comanche, Texas and eventually Talpa in 1900. They had four children, two of these coming to Coleman County with their parents: farmland near Talpa and a lumber yard kept them busy and provided a livelihood. Both S. M. and Elva died in 1920, buried at Talpa Cemetery.

     (1) Frank E., was born in Arkansas in 1875, married (1) Emogene Carnes in 1898. They had two sons, Wavne and Benge. She died in 1918 and in later years, he married (2) Erin McMahan of Glen Cove (see R. H. Walker). After her death, he made his home in Abilene with Wayne, where he died in 1968 and is buried at Talpa. He was Postmaster there for a time. Wayne born in 1898. married Lorene Simmons (see Jim Simmons) of Valera in 1921. They had two sons, Russell and J. B., both born in Talpa. Wane was associated with the Talpa Bank. He moved to Abilene and is deceased. Benge, born in Talpa in 1904, died in 1948.

     (2) Clarence Virgil, called Virge, born in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in 1876, lived in Dallas and Comanche Counties before coming to Talpa. He married Minnie Frances Norris (see J. A. Norris) in January, 1904. They had seven children. We lived on the farm near Talpa until late 1927, when dry land farming would no longer support all of us. Clarence 'Virge" died in 1957 and our mother, Minnie, in June 1978, both are buried at Talpa. Their children:

   (2a) Bonnie Imogene, born December 12, 1904 at Talpa and married Otis C. Bertrand in 1925. They lived for a time at Talpa, then left to ranch and stock farm in several Texas areas, returning to the ranch at Talpa where they now live. They had three children: Lleldon, born in Talpa in 1926 - died 1944; Albert, born at Miles in 1929, lived most of his life with his parents, died in 1967, buried at Talpa, and Maxine, born in Miles in 1932 and lives in Coleman, working as a nurse. She married Eddie Douglas in 1953 and they have five children: Julia, born 1954, in San Angelo, married Daniel Cody in 1972. They have three children: Richard, 1973, Jennifer, 1975, and Marcus, 1976. They lived on the Bertrand homeplace. Wayne, born in 1956, lives and works in Coleman; Sandra, born in 1957, married (1) Bill White, had a daughter, Chrystal Dawn, and married (2) Robert Robinson, and they have two children, Debra Lynn, 1979, and Robert, Jr., 1980. They live in Houston; Kathy, born in 1959, married Edward Wayne Rose in 1976. They have two children: Kari, 1977 and Edward, Jr., 1978. They live in Arcadia, New York; and Michael, born 1962, graduated from Coleman High School, lives and works in Coleman.

   (2b) Gordon Mitchell, born February 27, 1907 (see Gordon Mitchell Bennett).

   (2c) Juanita Elva, born 1909 at Talpa, graduated from Talpa High School in 1927 and the same year, married Eugene Spann of Norton. A daughter, Mary Katherine, was born and died in 1928; Harold Eugene, born in Coleman in 1929, served in the U.S.A.F. for 3 years. In 1955, he married Reba Jean Ralston and they have a son, Eugene Harold, born 1957. They live in Webster; Ira Virgil, born 1931, attended Coleman schools, married Earl Jean Woodard of Santa Anna in 1950. hey had a daughter, Rebecca Ann, born in Fort Worth, and married Jim Loney, they have a son, Malakhi, 1975. I. V. later married Betty Feger in 1973, he served 3 years in the U.S.A.F and instructed many years at the Air Force Academy. They now live in Kettle Falls, Washington. Juanita married second, Rhubin Burrows of Coleman in 1937. He died in 1956 in Coos Bay, Oregon. They had two children: Pattie Beatrice, born in 1942 in Coleman. She married Edward Alfred Meyer in 1961, they have a son, Eric Allen, 1966; Paul Norris, born in Coleman in 1944, died 1960, buried in Oregon. Juanita married third, James Lee Baughman in 1957, he died in 1980. They lived several years in Coleman, caring for our mother. she now lives in Coos Bay.

   (2d) Era, a twin, born in 1915. After graduating from Coleman High School, she was trained as a lab and X-Ray technician at King's Daughters Hospital in Temple, and worked many years for Dr. M. E. Weaver in Coleman. taking a break when both entered the military service in World War II (January, 1943 to December, 1945). Era was the first Coleman Countian to serve in the WACS, she married Benjamin N. Thompson of Gouldbusk in 1955. They lived in Cambodia, Thailand and Afghanistan. He died in an accident in North Africa, and she married Jack Britton in 1973, and lives in Coleman.

   (2e) Vera, a twin was born in 1915 (see John C. Stokes).

      (2f) Carl Vernon, born 1918 at Talpa. He was a member of Co. B., 36th Division. He contracted typhoid fever and died in 1935, buried at Talpa.

       (2g) Ruby Olene, born 1921 in Talpa married Orin Wade McClure of Red Bank (see John Edward McClure) in 1940. They lived near Santa Anna for many years before moving to Plainview. Olene died in 1974. They had three children: Wade Bennett, (Benny), born in Coleman in 1942, married Carol Lee Matsler in 1962, they have 4 sons; Wade Bennett, Jr., 1962, Mathew Taylor, 1964, Ernest Dean, 1967, and Don, 1970. Elaine born in Coleman in 1944 married Joseph David Peters in 1961; they have two children, Barry Mark, 1962, and Lyn Michele, 1964, married to Jack Cox. Elaine married Ronald Wayne Hargett in 1980, and lives in Keller; Ricky Carl, born in 1958, married Cheryl Lynn Lovelady in 1977, they have two children, Sherry D'Ann, 1978, and Justin Carl, 1980, and lives in Azle.

pictures to be added

Era Bennett, first Coleman County woman to enter the WAC's in WW II